Bandit or Hero?
by AngstyAlpaca
Summary: Jordan chose to live on Pandora. Even if it was a little messy she considered it home now. She's aware of the battle between Handsome Jack, the Crimson Raiders, and the bandits but was never really motivated to join the cause. Until a small group of Vault Hunters decided to drop into her life. For the sake of survival she joins the game... but whose side is she really on?
1. Rolling for initiative

**Hey all you cool peeps out there. I got a few things to say before you plunge into the monstrosity know as my OC within the Borderlands Universe. I'm not the most experienced writer so I will admit this story is like watching a shitty movie for fun. I hope you can find some joy in reading this and if you have something to say, be it a comment or an idea, let me know. Also…I'm very awkward with starting stories. Just a heads up.**

Jordan sighed. "What a pain" she mumbled under her breath.

She rested upon a pile of dead psychos as she scanned the terrain to see if anyone wanted to drop by and try to kill her for the third time this morning. As per usual she had to go out scavenging Pandora for at least a week's worth of food and grab anything else that could be useful to her. When push comes to shove bullets were handy if you didn't want to be a part of a meat bicycle. Money was handy when you wanted to be civilized and there was always a rare chance of finding soap because some random psycho had some kind of impulsive need to stay clean. The key to finding this rare breed of psycho is looking for raw hands…raw everything really. It's kind of creepy seeing a walking piece of flesh and the only bit of skin left is on their backs. (Oh will you look at this! We're getting off track! It's not like soap is THAT important…ahem.)

Instead of finding food or the godly instance of soap, a bandit car had tried to run her over. When she finally blew up the damn thing it alerted another group of bandits nearby. Long story short, they went out of their way to try and kill her without considering the following. Jordan had guns, a long history of violence, and a carnivorous pet. Now she lounged on the freshly murdered and counted what ammo she had left. All she really wanted was a simple day of fishing but if someone wanted a bullet to the face so badly she wasn't going to say no.

She would have to settle with finding food another way today.

Brooding over her luck, or the lack of, she felt something nudge her leg. Looking down, a stalker was purring and pawing at her foot with its single claw.

"Hey Mufasa, didn't mean to ignore you." Jordan leaned down and reached for an arm. With one pull it ripped off from its owner. The stalker perked up instantly and jumped back. "Who's a good stalker? You are! Clearly you deserve a treat for killing those mean bandits!"

She threw the limb and without hesitation her pet snatched it out of the air. Hearing flesh rip and chunks of meat being swallowed loudly made her nose scrunch up in momentary disgust, but hey Mufasa is still young and still growing.

Jordan got up from her throne of bodies and pat Mufasa's head. "You can have as much as you want." She said. Mufasa replied with a growl of approval as she walked a little ways from her companion. "Well…might as well loot the bodies and see if there's a camp nearby."

The Southern Shelf was probably Jordan's favorite place on Pandora to live. Well the artic regions of Pandora were honestly the only areas she bothered to explore. Less than 2 months ago she landed on this planet to start a new life and quite frankly living the civilized life was getting dull anyway. The advertisement of becoming a vault hunter was an interesting offer but anyone could see a mile away that the promise of wealth offered by helping Handsome Jack was a lie. Then again if being a vault hunter was someone's dream who was she to judge, she just hoped the poor sods survived his trap.

Long story short Jordan was a beast tamer and she was on Pandora looking for a good time (if you can call it that).

Mufasa on the other hand was someone she befriended by chance while learning the rules of Pandorian life. Poor little fella was chased out of his group when another male stalker killed his pack leader, similar to lions trying to start a pride. Stalkers didn't live in the artic but Jordan found Mufasa struggling to survive while being harassed by Bullymongs and Skags. After watching the poor thing sleep in the cold, crying and shivering, she took the time to feed him and give him a spare blanket. She had expected Mufasa to run off after he was well enough to learn how to survive on his own but instead he followed her around and even at one point saved her life. Even though she had the ability to call on the wildlife for help she didn't really bother when she had the loyalty and protection of someone who had her back. Besides, Jordan was afraid if she tamed something within the area that he would kill it out of the fact that living in this icy environment was hell for him alone. Maybe a rakk would be something nice to tame or maybe something more down to earth like a thresher…

Jordan didn't have to go far to see that the bandits nearby had indeed set up camp. Apparently they had the same idea she did because she found two full buckets filled with pink fish. She shamelessly took the fish along with a generous stash of ammo. Now all she had to do was walk back to her nice little ice cave near Liar's Berg. She thought it was better to live outside of the small settlement just because it was always targeted by bandits. When Hammerlock was around they seem to do fine but for the most part it was always a ghost town, Liar's Berg functioned more as a pit stop.

Suddenly Jordan heard a distressed screech from Mufasa and dropped the buckets to run back to her friend. Granted he wasn't far but seeing the stalker being shot at made that short distance stretch before her eyes. She saw a group of four slowly walking towards Mufasa eating spot. He hissed and went invisible knowing that he depended on Jordan to survive.

"Don't shoot! The stalker's with me!" She shouted. Common sense said she should have just pulled out her sniper and shot the people where they stood. For some damn reason the way they carried themselves (and the lack of insane yelling) convinced her to take a chance and try to talk to them.

Knowing they would point their guns at her, she took out her pistol and pointed it back at them as well. Hearing the clicking noise of guns being aimed towards her made a nervous laugh bubble its way out of her throat. Jordan had been through worse cases, four dangerous looking professionals couldn't be any different. Could they? They stared each other down as the strangers slowly made their way to her. They didn't seem crazy… Yet!

She put her hands up and let her pistol hang loosely on her right trigger finger. "Hey… I don't want any trouble. Do you mind talking before shooting me …and my friend?" Jordan said with a smile. Why was she doing this again? Wow today has got to be a special day for her.

Mufasa appeared next to her and several of the guns pointed at the stalker now. She quickly stepped in front of him, blocking their aim. She shut her eyes tight waiting for the inevitable demise she would face because she decided to drop killer instinct for a chance to have a peachy conversation with strangers. Which if you know life on Pandora the survival rate of stupidity was 0%.

"Who are you?" The question was asked by the only female of the group. Opening her eyes, Jordan couldn't help but to think this woman was beautiful. The blue hair, almond shaped eyes, and eccentric tattoos complimented her slim figure. Jordan shook her head. She scowled "Focus! We still don't know if they're friendly"

She cleared her throat. "My name is Jordan Sentry. I…live here…" She placed a hand on Mufasa's head. His body was still tense and his tail was raised, ready to shoot spikes. Jordan clicked her tongue and whispered that everything was alright. The situation would probably go better if the stalker looked more relax rather than ready to pounce. His tail lowered and nervously swayed from side to side instead. "This is Mufasa" she added.

The woman stared at her; the other three men looked at each other with unsure expressions on their faces. (Well except the one with the visor but she assumed he was puzzled as well). Jordan wished she could grip her pistol. This was getting more awkward by the second.

"I'm Maya." Jordan looked back at the woman with a startled expression. "These three are Axton, Salvador, and Zero." She continued, pointing out who was who.

Jordan let out a shaky breath she didn't know she was holding in. "Nice to meet you" she said. She put her pistol away assuming that the worse was over. They lowered their own weapons. Seeing this made her want to melt to the ground and thank the gods. But why look insane now? Even Mufasa looked more presentable then her.

She took a good look at the others. Axton was the one guy who looked like he used to be in the military. He had a strong looking jaw with a rank insignia on his forehead. Comforting... Salvador on the other hand was the meanest looking midget she has ever seen and Zero looked like every little boys (and girls) dream of wanting to become a ninja. Maybe not so comforting now.

"What brings you to the Southern Shelf?" Jordan asked.

This time Axton spoke for the group. "We're trying to find a way to get to sanctuary. We just happen to be doing some side chores on the way. Then we saw that little freak munching. We thought we were gonna be lunch." He said looking at Mufasa suspiciously.

"Well the kid needs to eat and what better way to feed him then the people that tried to kill you." She responded.

"Did she just call that thing kid?" Salvador asked. Axton rolled his eyes and Zero's visor projected three dots in a row.

Maya sighed "Okay. So you're friendly..ish. We aren't here to murder innocent people, if you can call yourself that, but we could use some help. Can you help us find a bandit settlement? We're supposed to kill some guy and his….Bullymong."

Jordan considered the question for a moment. She knew exactly who and what Maya was asking for. Having less bandits around would certainly make life a lot easier for her. Lots of looting potential and scavenging for weeks! This would also shake up her daily routine. What could be the harm of helping?

She shrugged. "Eh, what the hell! It might be fun. Follow me!"


	2. Hey, Pumpkin

As Jordan and the Vault Hunters embarked on their little adventure they stopped momentarily at Liar's Berg to talk to Sir Hammerlock. It gave Jordan enough time to collect more ammo, it always seem to be lying around from the constant wave of bandit attacks. The Vault Hunters probably helped out the small settlement because it was oddly quiet and untouched. She was wondering when a psycho would pop out and try to surprise her but it never happened. Everything was pretty peaceful for the most part thanks to these guys. Even the few Bullymongs nearby were gone. They really were leaving a good first impression for her.

Jordan watched as Salvador played with Mufasa. He was wrestling with the creature until he was too worn out to continue. Hearing him make squeaks and playful growls almost made her jealous; he didn't really interact with anyone. There was Hammerlock but he just wanted to mess with him for research. It was good that someone else could be his friend because technically he was still a child. Poor thing barely had the time to play and it was always Mufasa that wore her out when they did. The locals usually chickened out too but every now and then a kid will be around, that was short lived though. When the stalker finally sat down to rest Salvador did as well, petting Mufasa on the head every now and then.

Salvador looked at her "Do you have any treats I could give him? What is this things name again? Mimosa?" he asked. Mufasa nipped at his fingers playfully.

Jordan shrugged off her backpack and looked for a black plastic bag. "His name is Mufasa. He really likes you. It's nice to see him actually play with someone new but you're the first I've seen to wear him out. I can't even do that - Ah Ha!" She pulled out what she was looking for and handed it to the Vault Hunter. "Just warning you… it's chopped up bandits"

Salvador shrugged "It doesn't bother me. People don't taste that bad, if I could cook this I would join in."

Jordan's snorted as he casually gave Mufasa a chunk of meat. She wasn't surprised at this point. Half of the psycho's around here scream about eating babies or something along those lines. As long as she wasn't on the menu that's okay. Let the buff midget have his delicacy. This was a judge free zone! She chuckled at her reasoning.

Suddenly she felt like she was being watched. Looking behind her, Zero was silently watching her with his arms crossed. It only made her that much more uncomfortable when she didn't have a face to connect with that name and eyes to be looking back at. Just the shine off of his black helmet met her gaze.

"Do you…want to join?" she offered as a weak attempt to see if she could get him to move somewhere else that wasn't behind her.

Zero lowered his arms and walked up to her. He stood uncomfortably close to her; forcing her to crane her neck back to look up at what she assumed was a face behind that mask.

"Why are you here? Hammerlock is stranded but you are not. What is your angle? Who are you?" Zero asked.

Jordan didn't reply right away. It was Zero and Axton who were aware of her odd presence in the Southern Shelf. Salvador didn't give a rat's ass and Maya was trying to be strategic and willing to accept consequences. Jordan did say up front that she lived here and usually that was good enough for most people but if someone questioned her alibi….well…more fun for her.

She ran a nervous hand through her hair. "I did say I lived here. That's not a lie. I'm just not fond of living in crowded areas. At least being here I have a better chance of hiding away from the things that want to kill me. I'm honestly just someone who enjoys the battle of survival little too much. So….here I am!" She said bring up her arms to exaggerate her presence.

She took a deep breath. That was a real mouthful that she just spewed out. It wasn't a lie but it wasn't the whole truth either. It was what she was willing to share to seal the deal if Zero was willing to accept what she just said. They continued to stare at one another, the silence felt like it lasted forever. It was when he finally decided to move around her and join Salvador and Mufasa that she assumed she successfully satiated the Vault Hunter's curiosity. Jordan watched as he gave Mufasa a cautious pat on the head and accepted a piece of meat to feed him. Why you look at that! He made another friend! At this point the damn thing is going to cheat on her if he gets bored!

She visibly relaxed until she noticed Axton was looking at her from the corner of his eye while Maya spoke to Hammerlock. She stuck her tongue out at him. Instead of looking away like an adult he turned his body towards her and stuck his tongue right back at her, which made her laugh in return. He rolled his eyes and gave his attention to Hammerlock and Maya once more.

"Are you sure we can trust her?" Axton asked Maya with a hushed voice. "It's too convenient."

Maya for the first time looked like she doubted her decision for Jordan to tag along. "But we need all the help we can get until we can get to Sanctuary."

Hammerlock cleared his throat. "I am here you know. I've known the young lady since she's arrived here."

"What can you tell us about her?" Axton asked.

"If you're looking for past history you're out of luck. She keeps that to herself, but she has chosen to live here and bless her soul she's been helping me ever since Flint trapped me here."

Axton waved a hand to rush the conversation along "Yeah yeah yeah we get it! But can we trust her?"

"Well if you didn't interrupt me I would have told you already." Hammerlock scowled. "For a lack of a better word she's a neutral force here. She has many connections but doesn't choose a side. She's helped bandits, this settlement, and anyone else that offers profit or opportunity."

"So she's a potential threat?" Maya asked, clearly confused. She looked back at Jordan for a moment. The others had formed a small circle with her as they played with her stalker. The image just didn't add up. "Really? Earlier today she could have killed us technically? That would be the situation if we weren't vault hunters at least. Why waste her time on trying to do something she could have before? Now that I think about it, she talked to us first not the other way around. It doesn't make sense. "

"She isn't the type to cause trouble and she isn't motivated to harm anyone. Jordan expects help in return in exchange for her services. A very modest price if you ask me. A colleague of mine had to be fisted by a thresher to get what he wanted. *ahem* Surprisingly she seems to like you lot. She isn't as friendly to me as she is being right now with those fellows over there. For now you are a new connection she wishes to establish and that's that. But believe me when I say she retains more humanity then those god awful bandits."

Maya and Axton exchanged puzzled expressions with one another. "Like I said before, Axton! She can help us but if you really think she'll come at us gun blazing … the pleasure is all yours. Take her out."

Axton nodded. "Will do. Let's get this over with now that I have one less thing to worry about."

"If that is all…Good luck Vault Hunters!" Hammerlock said loudly for everyone to hear. He gave one finally wave as they gathered their things and left.

Leaving Liar's Berg behind, Jordan found herself and the front of the group alone. They walked far enough behind her so they could debate whether or not she was worth keeping around. She couldn't blame them. She did come off a little shady if people paid attention. She was concerned about them as well but it was her that decided to stroll up to them and say hi. Yeah they still had their sanity but if she lost value they could just kill her. She was confident that wasn't the case though and there was a huge benefit knowing Vault Hunters she hoped. Nice ones at that!

Mufasa was still hanging out with Salvador she noticed. It didn't really bother her. This gave her some of her own time to consider these new allies a bit more. (She could only imagine her stalker giving her watery eyes while begging "can we keep them mama?".)

 _You really got them fooled don't you?_

Jordan flinched. It always startled her when someone _magically_ hacked into her echo device, she usually forgot she had the earpiece along with the hardware and it made it seem like someone's talking to her from thin air. This voice, along with the initial surprise, could either make your heart throb or shit your pants because it was none other than Handsome Jack, CEO of the Hyperion Corporation.

"Hello Jack. To what do I owe the honor?" she asked quietly.

 _Just checking in! How long has it been? Like…oh I don't know… a month! Wow, I thought you would be dead by now._

Jack sounded genuinely surprised but she knew better than to think he was interested in her well-being. He only popped up when he needed something done and the last thing he asked was for her to start a bandit war. Why? Well he was bored and wanted something amusing to watch. It was worth it though. She got like 20 guns out of it.

Jordan sighed "What do you want? I'm not doing anything to hinder Hyperion's agenda last I checked."

 _That's debatable. So hear me out! What I don't understand is why you're helping these bozos. You're better than this! You've done me some favors and you can't say I haven't helped you out. God forbid you've done favors for Flynt, which you've pissed off if I remember correctly, and now you're cozying up to Vault Hunters!? Come on! You're doing way too much ass kissing right now._

Jordan licked her bottom lip nervously "Survivals a bitch Jack."

 _C'mon cupcake. You know I've invited you to work for me! Offer still stands by the way._

"And I said thanks but no thanks. Research isn't my thing"

 _How about this! I just got an idea. How about I give you a tour, with yours truly, and see what you think after. Until then you can keep your little friends, maybe you and Angel knowing them will be a benefit in the long run. I don't expect them to survive long, so heads up!_

She rolled her eyes. She's been avoiding Hyperion the best she could. Though Jack has personally taken care of some problems following her from her previous life she knew he was mostly interested in her talent regarding taming creatures. He was fully aware of how she was able to avoid trouble with local wildlife and even use them to her advantage, regardless if she was never exposed to them before. It wasn't something Jordan was willing to share when she discovered such a skill.

 _I find your silence to be a very promising sign!_

She was about to snap back when suddenly the ground shook around her. A Bullymong had landed right in front of her as she tried to regain her balance. She barely registered the hulking beast trying to grab her when she threw herself to the ground. She could hear Mufasa roar behind her and Axton shouting at her.

"I'm going to have to give you a rain check on that thought. Things got real busy all of the sudden." Jordan growled. She pulled out a Hyperion pistol hidden under her trench coat.

 _We WILL be talking pumpkin, real soon! Don't leave me hangin' for too long. I'm NOT a patient man… if you don't give me an answer the next conversation we have won't be as peachy._

A shiver ran up her spin. That threat was very real. Could she talk her way out of this like she did the last he asked? That didn't matter right now. Jordan focused her attention towards the Bullymong that tried to ultimately crush her. She rolled to her right, pellets of ice hitting her face from where the monster's fist struck last struck. It was when Mufasa dived through the air and landed on the Bullymong's face that made it safe for her to get up. He bounced away before he could get hurt when he saw she was safe.

"I asked for a little excitement and now I got it." She said with a laugh as she squeezed off a few rounds from her gun.

The others joined her and opened fired on the Bullymong's chest until it dropped to the ground and didn't get back up.

Axton jogged up to her "You alright kid?"

Jordan saw everyone look at her with concern (She assumed the exclamation mark on Zero's mask meant he was concerned). Maybe Mufasa wasn't the only one to make friends…Weird and a bit cheesy. It was a feeling she hadn't been familiar with for a long time.

She smiled brightly. "I'm great. Thanks."

It was when they felt the ground shake again that they knew the moment of peace was broken.

"Looks like this guy has some friends." Maya chimed.

Salvador walked towards the Bullymongs that started to gather around them "I was getting bored anyway. Let's shoot some shit up already." He said cocking two guns up.

Mufasa roared but that was soon replaced with the sound of gunfire.


	3. Red or Yellow

Killing off a group of Bullymong isn't that hard to do. It's when they sneak up on you that the results vary between getting a scratch or becoming this week's road kill.

Jordan was breathing hard through her nose as she tried to calm down from the adrenaline rush she just had. She barely remembered the conversation she had with Handsome Jack because she was nearly gang banged by one of those damn things. Thankfully, everything worked out for the best because of the Vault Hunters BUT remembering that _little chat_ from earlier really dampened her mood. Who knew living to see another day would be so, so, so unrewarding. It added to her embarrassment that she needed saving to begin with (Bullymongs are literally the most retarded things to exist. Hammerlock disagrees but even his ego would be damaged if he was cornered by these beasts). Looking over the corpses that surrounded her, she was tempted to walk up to the one that caught her off guard and kick it. Like punishing an inanimate object for god knows what but you do it anyway because you're pissed and it clearly had an agenda to torment you.

Mufasa, on the other hand, wouldn't stop snuggling against her stomach. He understood that she had been in great danger. She tried not to stumble backwards as he continued to fuss over her, making sure she ran her hands affectionately along the stalkers head.

"What is the little guy's malfunction?" Axton asked.

The Vault Hunters formed a semi-circle around her and waited patiently to move on. They already inspected Jordan for any wounds and made a few jokes about how she almost became a human pancake. They didn't expect Mufasa to be so emotional; every living thing native to this planet had tried to kill them so far. So…this was new.

Jordan tried to imitate the clicking sounds Mufasa made before answering the ex-soldier. He calmed down enough to sit down but she knew for the rest of the day he would be practically glued to her hip.

She placed a hand on her companion. "Mufasa here saw his mom get killed by a stalker that took over his group. As his new caretaker I have taken on the duty of mother." She said with a loop sided grin.

Maya laughed "That's kind of cute. Salvador might end up being mistaken for as papa" she teased

Salvador huffed at the comment but had a smile on his face none the less.

"Yeah well if he had stayed in his habitat and survived he would be doing the same thing. Kill the male, kill the male's babies, and then make babies of his own. Then wait for another male to come kill him. It's normal for his species." Jordan added.

"He's not so cute now. Couldn't leave it be could you?" The siren said with a snort

"Nope"

Jordan twiddled her thumbs for a moment before looking at Zero. "Hey Zero" He didn't move nor did he shift to ensure he was paying attention to her. She assumed he was anyway. It was something she would have to get used to. "Could you do me a favor? I don't have my knife but I'll make it up to you if you could possibly…break off some bones for Mufasa to chew on?"

"With or without meat" he asked evenly.

Wow. Ok. She didn't think he would agree. What with being the tall, dark, silent type and all. "With, please. Get the one that tried to jump me."

Zero unsheathed his sword. "No problem"

"You are the only one that has gotten him to talk since we got here. You know that?" Salvador added.

Jordan shrugged. "I have a way with people"

Jordan thought her adventure with the Vault Hunters would end with the Clap-Trap unit being ready to escort them to Flynt's base. It didn't. They let her stay even after their original deal was finished. She led them to the settlement with that bandit who liked Bullymong dick up his ass. She even established her connection with the Vault Hunters but she continued to help them and continued to be their guide. She even found the time to get Zero a new sniper rifle as pay back for supplying her Mufasa's next meal. It was bad for business to be seen with one group for too long but getting back at Captain Flynt was worth alienating the bandit population in the area. No one could really harm her in any way because Jack didn't really care (if they tried contacting Hyperion) and they didn't really communicate beyond the little empire they formed in the Southern Shelf. Free of consequences. Free satisfaction. Free of charge.

Now she was sitting on a boat, the Vault Hunters getting a step closer to finding Sanctuary. She was sitting against a crate hugging her knees. Zero was hiding in the shadows somewhere, Salvador was once again playing with Mufasa, Maya was on the edge of boats rail barfing, and Axton was standing next to her while scanning the area. Not much that could pop out and shoot them in open waters but there's a first for everything.

Hearing Maya gag made her cringe.

"You goin' to be okay?" She found herself asking. The answer was obvious, she wasn't.

Maya turned to give her a thumbs up. "I've been through worse."

Boy, she looked green. Jordan smiled apologetically as the siren turned around and threw up again. She saw Axton wince.

"Gross" he mumbled.

She shrugged and went back to watching Mufasa and Salvador try to dominate each other.

"Who were you talking to earlier?" Axton asked

Jordan shrugged again "One of my connections" Once again it was easy for her to give half-truths rather than the whole truth.

"Someone that must really put you on edge because you didn't look very happy…" he added.

"If you want a reliable network you can't be too picky. My strongest ally just happens to be the most dense to work with."

"Ah…"

Jordan looked over at the man, eyebrows raised. "What? No pestering about my MYSTERIOUS existence?" he chimed.

Axton snorted "I'd like to know but I guess that's none of my business. I'm not exactly spilling my life story either. You helped us this far. It's a fair trade to leave you alone for a bit."

She brought a hand up to her chest and shared a face of mock surprise. "Why, are you saying you trust me? I'm honored."

The Vault hunter kicked her lightly "Don't make me take it back."

"About time you two got along." Salvador said while he had Mufasa in a head lock. "It's like two kids fighting over the last cookie and forgetting they can split the damn thing."

"Says the guy who would probably kill the other kid to have the cookie all for himself" Axton said

"You're right. I would."

Maya could be heard moaning but they assumed she approved of what just happened as well.

"Oh my god land!" she cried out.

"Ahoy land lovers we have reached our destination!" Clap-Trap said over the boats speakers.

When they finally got off the boat Jordan soured at the sight more Bullymongs nearby. She sighed.

"This is where we part ways for now" Jordan said.

The Vault Hunters looked at her with startled surprise. She put her hands up apologetically. "Hey don't give me that look."

"You literally have been helping us out this whole time and now you're ditching. That's kind of sudden and douchy" Maya said.

Jordan sighed. "Listen I would be forced to leave later anyway. I'm not allowed into Sanctuary."

Axton crossed his arms and stared her down, demanding an answer.

" Okay okay okay! So they don't want me near them unless I'm on their side because I'm connected with people they don't like and the people that they don't like happen to hate them too."

"Like Bandits?" Salvador asked

"Yeah"

"Cults?" Maya added

"Yeah"

"And Hyperion" Zero suddenly added.

Jordan flinched. "….Yeah"

"Hyperion tried to fucking kill us you know that?" Axton growled.

"I know"

"And you want us to trust you?!" he shouted. "Why the hell did we not see this before?! Everything makes sense now!"

Jordan looked away; the ground was much more interesting. First she heard cursing, and then a gun being pointed at her chest and Mufasa's confused whimpering. Somehow knowing she had made actual friends made this a lot more painful. It was a reminder to why she avoided relationships. There was always a list of requirement to fill to be accepted.

Maya snapping her fingers in front of her face brought her attention back to the situation.

"Answer me this. Why do you need to have all of these connections?" she asked.

Jordan felt her face heat up. She could felt her temper flare from the constant questioning of her alliances which ultimately connected with her past.

"I don't want to be put in a corner that why!" She snarled. Maya recoiled back at her sudden outburst. "Because once upon a fucking time I trust someone and guess what?! They screwed me over and left me there to die! So here I am on Pandora playing the balancing game on a damn rope so when I fall at least I know I have something to catch me."

Axton's expression was of utter disbelief. "That doesn't make it right!" he said.

"Says the guy who got screwed over by his own ex-wife" she jabbed.

His jaw dropped before his mouth clamped shut again. There was no need for him to ask how she knew that because the answer was already there. _Connections_. He put his rife on his back, walked up to her, and punched her right on the cheek. She suddenly felt her back collide with the cold ground. That smarts. She glared up at the man but couldn't hold the expression when she saw the how the others looked at her. Even Zero looked unpleased and that says something.

It was amazing how fast this all happened. Hostility. Friendship. Than hostility again.

Salvador pat Axton on the back. "Come on, you're wasting your time."

And just like that they were gone. She was lying on the ground and Mufasa was scrambling about with clear confusion on what happened. Jordan didn't move for quite some time.

"Honesty's a bitch…What a waste of time" Jordan growled.

Mufasa suddenly let out a harsh cry. She sat up and saw a loader bot had him pinned "HEY! Let him –"

 _Crack_

Jordan's world went black.


End file.
